Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1887-06-17
THE TALK OF THE DAY.
Gen Drum Expresses Himself-An Old
Soldiers yiew-LeGal Proceedings.

trtn- Drum Expresses HlmsBif-An oiu
Soldiers Yiew-Legal Proceedings.
WASHINGTON CITY, June 17-Referring
to the issuance of a circular letter to the gov
ernors Of southern states informing them that
the general government is preparing TO re-
turn to their custody the rebel flags and
standards captured by the Union armies dur
ing the rebellion. Gen Drum says:
We are going To return the flags to all the states
north and south, and l am having a full list
made OF all these trophies in possession of the de
partment In a short tiIre shall have the
whole collection so assorted and separated that
shall be ready to forward to every state in the
union whatever flags belonging to state volunteers
fell into the hands of the Federal army and
into the possession Of the war department. am
having complete inventory of them made out
with written statements to tell briefly, as far as
known, the history of each trophy and the story
Of how it came to be captured. All this literature
will he completed and the trophies will be ready
to be forwarded to their owners in few weeks
Gen. Drum when asked if the president ex-
pressed his approval of this proposition in
writing, did not give direct answer but in
timated that when the list of flags returned
and their histories were given to the public
letter from President Cleveland on the sub
ject might also be made public, Gen. Drum,
during the course OF further conversation on
the subject said
This action is not due to any pressure or any
suggestion from outside 1t has been in contem-
plation in the department for some considerable
time. You every now and then We were re-
ceiEinc inquiries from various states about the
flags in which they particularly interested
and requests to have them returned These re-
quests generally came from northern states, and
from time 10 time, the requests were made.
they were gratifed. At length it occurred to the
department officials that it would be a good thing
to return them all at once. The law relating to
flags captured from the enemies of the United
States did not apply to flags taken in the civil
war. On April II, 1914 after the last
war with England, congress passed an
act providing that the secretary of war shall
from time TO time, cause to be collected and
transmitted to him at the seat of government all
such flags, standards and colors as are taken by
the army from the enemies of the United States -
But it never intended that flags taken in
internecine strifes should be treated like trophies
captured from foreign enemy. 1t has never
been done 1t would serve no good purpose to
treasure up these things and display them as
perpetual affront and insult to men who are good,
loyal American citizens The Union, the object
for which the men of the north fought so well
is now securely established 1t is the desire of
every patriot TO the last ray of sectional feel'
ing extinglIished and obliterate1 as soon as pos
sible; and the presidents action in having these
flags returned to their original owners is think,
very graceful and very wise declaration Of this
sentiment on the part of the government.
The adjutant general asserts that there is
nothing in the statutes which could be con-
strued as a bar to the action. The legal
points in the case were carefully considered
before Gen. Drum submitted his recommend
alton, and the president, it is said, was fully
satisfied before issuing the authority to make
the return that there was nothing illegal in
the action. The flags number nearly 800. All
show signs of the ravages of var and many
arc s7 ridaies ,se. q viii bs 4ttisea,t g de-